How you are remembered in your life is dependent upon how you treated others regardless of your fame and fortune. Such is the man I knew, Arnold Palmer, a man I was privileged and honored to know.
I was appalled and disgusted at the callous and demeaning comments made about Palmer by Donald Trump during his recent visit to Latrobe. Palmer was a great man and stayed connected to his roots in Latrobe, raising his family there, investing in businesses and building a cancer center in the name of his dear deceased wife, Winnie. There wasn’t a time when he would shy away from being a part of the community, whether in the grocery store or city celebrations. It was his home, and he never isolated himself from any of us. He never considered himself an elite or better than the average man walking down the street. He was always engaging the community, working to make it better, and was a neighbor to us all.
I am not making a political statement, but rather a statement of fact about the quality of Palmer’s character and what he has meant to his hometown and to me. Even after his passing, he continues to support his community with generous, lasting gifts. He truly was a very great man.
James Gebicki
Williamsburg, Va.